Call to Action: Help Yoga in New York

The mission is underway and you can help! Haven’t been keeping up? Read about it here and here.

In short, NY State is in the process of shaking down yoga studios for cash and control over teacher training programs. Yoga for NY is an organization of teachers and studios across the state rallying together to protect yoga in NY and support Senate Bill S.5701A, which will officially exclude yoga teacher training from expensive government licensing and regulations.

And here’s where you can help!

Instructions via Yoga For New York.

Make ONE or TWO Calls to the NYS Senate on Thursday, January 28, or Friday, January 29 or Monday, February 1. (Please mark your calendar to call this Monday!) <–that’s TODAY!

Call (518) 455-2800 (the government operator) and say “May I speak with Senator ______ office” (Ask for the Senator who represents the county closest to you in the above list. If there is more than one – call two times!)

Here’s what you say – keep it simple, say these words and make sure you say the bold part!

“My name is __________________I live/work in the Senator’s district and I am calling to urge his/her support for S.5701A which will be on the Higher Education Committee meeting Tuesday (Feb 2). S.5701A will protect yoga teacher training from burdensome government regulation and ensure that yoga studios stay in business. Thank you”

And let us know by emailing action@yogaforny.org how it went. We like to count!

I really hope the NY yogis can make this happen. We’ve had great success in VA. We have a bill in the House (HB 703) that has passed through Education sub and full committees, and will now move to the floor of the House. The bill has been uncontested,and we expect it to pass easily.

Our The Senate bill, SB 598, is going to final vote today and we expect that to pass too.

Since the two bills are slightly different, they’ll have to then be made into one. We’re really optimistic that when all of this is over we’ll be exempt

NY can make this happen too. The key is to speak up! Send in those letters!